Free throws crucial in Bomber win

BOB FORD/TIMES NEWS Palmerton's Matthew Leaver dribbles the ball around Pen Argyl's Alec Heard as he looks to make a move to the hoop.

By ANDREW STEINMETZ asteinmetz@tnonline.com

The Palmerton boys were the benefactors of some clutch free throw shooting in the waning minutes and a crucial eight-point spree by junior point guard Brett Snyder at the end of the third quarter to pull out a 73-60 Colonial League win over visiting Pen Argyl.

It was the Blue Bomber tandem of Snyder and junior Ben Andrews that eventually spelled the difference in the win, as both were ballooning their phone bills with all the long-distance they dialed throughout. The duo combined for 10 three pointers and held their composure beautifully down the stretch with stoic ball-handling and coolness at the charity stripe to preserve the win.

The early-going wasn't much of an offensive showing, as the Blue Bombers took a 8-7 lead after one. Andrews' two triples provided the edge, as the Green Knights' Nick Pipher scored five.

The second quarter started with another Andrews trey, only to be countered by a Ryan DeJesso three. That's when the Bombers went on a 6-0 run, however, taking a 17-10 lead with about five minutes left before half.

Palmerton started to pick up the pace of the game, as the frequently were seen converting on fast breaks and steals leading to lay-ups. At the break, the Bombers had a 32-22 lead.

Snyder's seven points was tops for the locals in the period.

"It was nice because I was getting a lot of open looks because we were penetrating and dishing to the open guy," Brett Snyder mentioned.

In the third frame, both teams started to light up the scoreboard, as the pace quickened. Eventually, the Bombers held on to a 53-39 lead, entering the final eight minutes.

Snyder had 14 in the quarter, including eight in the final two minutes.

In the final period, PA closed the gap to nine at 58-49 with 4:46 left on a Kyle Muller trey. However, that's when the locals began to take advantage of their calmness from the free throw line to pull out the win.

"It's an outstanding feeling," Palmerton head coach Mike Snyder admitted. "We're right where we want to be at this point of the season. We beat the teams that we thought we could beat, and now hopefully, we can continue and maybe knock off a few of the better teams in the league."

"They made some big shots," PA head coach Mike Frew stated. "They didn't lose their fire as the game went on."

Snyder had 20 of his game-high 29 points after the intermission. Andrews connected for 19 in the game, while Tyler Svetik dropped 15 in the well-rounded effort.

Nick Pipher led PA with 19 points, while teammates Kyle Muller and Ryan DeJesso both had 11.